Fergus kelly



P. KELLY.

BUGKLB.

No. 495,115. PatentedApr Ql l,1 893..

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UNITED STATEs PATENT Curios.

FERGUS KELLY, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORTO WILBUR F. OSBORNE, OF SAME PLACE.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,115, dated April 11, 1893.

Application filed August 8, 1892. Serial No. 44:2,l34. (No model.)

,To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERGUS KELLY, of Ansonia, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inBuckles, (Case C3) andI do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a view in front elevation of a buckle constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a reverse view thereof; Fig. 3, a view in end elevation; Fig. 4, a view in vertical central section on the line m, at of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a view of the buckle in transverse section,on theline y-y of Fig. 1; Fig.

6, a detached view in front elevation of the hinged guard; Fig. 7, a similar View of the clamping-bar blank, partially developed.

My invention relates to an improvement in suspender-buckles, the object being to produce a convenient and effective article.

WVith these ends in view, my invention consists in the combination with a buckle-frame having a centrally depending book, of a fixed presser-bar, set back of the said frame, and having its ends secured to the ends thereof, a guard hung from the upper side of the buckle-frame in front and at a point above the upper edge of the said bar, and having a guard-finger extending downward to the book of the frame; and a clamping-lever hinged to the said guard between its upper and lower ends at a point in front of the said presserbar.

, The frame of my improved buckle has its body shaped like a parallelogram, and virtually composed of an upper side, A, a lower side A, ends B, B, and the centrally, depending hook C, depending from its lower side A. The said frame is formed from a single piece of wire, bent into the required shape, the ends of the wire forming the upper side of the buckle-frame. The said ends are virtually joined by a tube D, the ends of which they respectively enter as trunnions.

For convenience of description I have spoken of the ends of the wire from which the buckle-frame is formed, as composing the upper side of the frame; but it is true, that, in a sense, the tube forms a part of the said side of the frame. Inasmuch, however, as the tube more properly forms a member of the guard, I have preferred to describe it in that connection.

The presser-bar E, of my improved buckle, is made of sheet-metal, and consists of a strip of uniform width, having its ends turned forward at a right angle, and then clasped round and rigidly securedto the ends of the buckleframe at points above the center thereof. By turning the ends of the bar forward at a right angle, as described, the bar, when secured in place, is setback from the frame, as

shown by Fig. 5 of the drawings, so as to form a sufficient space between the rear face of the frame, and its inner face, to receive the webbing, which thus passes behind every portion of the buckle except the fixed presser-bar.

The guard of my improved buckle comprises the tube before mentioned, and a main piece formed from a single length of wire, and comprising a guard-finger F, which extends down into the hook C, of the buckle-frame, an open rectangular cross-piece F, a shank F extending upward from the upper member of the said cross-piece, and parallel, oppositely extending retaining ends F F which are entered into the tube D,which is coupled with the said shank, by being provided with a centrally, depending extension D, forming a clasp which embraces the shank as shown by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Under this construction it will be seen that the guard is swung from the upper side of the frame at a point above the upper edge of the fixed presser-bar in front of which it is located. The Webbing is forced against the said bar by means of a clamping-lever Gr, formed of sheetmetal, and shown in its partially developed, blank-form by Fig. 7 of the drawings. Its serrated clamping edge G, is turned inward from its upper edge, and constructed with a central slot G to clear the shank F of the guard. Leaves G G formed at the opposite clamping-lever is furnished with a slightly bent lip G, by means of which it is engaged for ready operation. It will be understood that when a buckle constructed as above described, is threaded, and the clamping-lever turned down into its closed position, the guard will be thrown forward as by a spring, so as to close the hook of the buckle-frame. By thus hanging the guard at a point above the upper edge of the fixed presser-bar, it is made very effective, by reason of its long leverage, both as to closing the mouth of the hook and as to pressing the clamping-lever against the said bar.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention, some slight changes from the construction herein shown and described may be made. I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to such construction, but hold myself at liberty to make such variations therefrom, as fairly fall within the scope of my invention. Thus the guard might be swung from the upper ends of the ends of the buckle-frame, the requirement so far as this invention is concerned being simply that it be swung from the upper portion of the buckle-frame at a point above the upper edge of the fixed presser-bar. I am aware, however, that it is old to provide a buckle-frame with a fixed presser-bar set back from its rear face to receive the webbing, and with a pivotal guard hinged to the frame in front of the said bar and carrying a pivotal clamping-lever. I am also aware that a buckle-frame having a guard hinged to its upper side is old. I do not therefore claim either of those constructions broadly, but only my particular construction as set forth.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein described suspender-buckle, consisting of the buckle-frame made of wire, and having parallel sides and ends, and a hook depending centrally from its lower side, a fixed presser-bar made of a strip of sheetmet-al, having its ends secured to the parallel ends of the buckle-frame, and bent at its ends so as to set back of the same to make room for the passage of the Webbing between its inner face and the rear face of the frame; a wire guard hung from the upper portion of the buckle-frame in front of and at a point above the upper edge of the said fixed bar, having a guard-finger extended downward into the hook of the buckle-frame, and transversely enlarged between its ends to form a cross-piece; and a clamping-lever hinged to the cross-piece of the said guard ata point in front of the said presser-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FERGUS KELLY.

Witnesses:

FRED O. EARLE, GEORGE D. SEYMOUR. 

